Weed burner



1934- G. E. GUTTORMSON I 1,943,218

WEED BURNER Filed Dec. 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l m W a ATTORNEYS Jan. 9,E. GUTTORMSQN WEED BURNER Filed Dec. 16, 1931 4Sheets-Sheet 2abi'uffoflmwanj INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 9, 1934.

G. E. GUTTORMSON WEED BURNER Filed Dec. 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 4 Q mw s \3 I I M Q N a K\ N fzfuttormfwz,

ATTORNEVS WEED BURNER Filed Dec. 16, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 -II IIINVENTOR BY 4 5M ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 9, 1934 warren STATES,

WEED BURNER Greger E. Guttormson, Fort Ransom, N. Dak.

Application December'1 6, 1931 Serial No. 581,449

4 Claims. (01. 126-2713) This invention relates to a weed burningmachine and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described andclaimed.

' An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the characterstated designed to burn straw or similar material in an especiallyconstructed fire box the flame of the ignited fuel beingdirected towardsthe ground by drafts of air created by a rotating fan located above thefire box of the machine. The machine is mounted upon wheels and isprovided with a rack adapted to hold the straw.

An object of the invention is to provide'a machine of the characterstated adapted to be efficiently used for burning and destroying noxiousweeds along public highways, in fields and at other places and adaptedto use a cheap and handy fuel material for burning the weeds.

In the accompanying drawings:--

Figure l is a side elevational view of the weed burner and associatedvehicular apparatus.

Figure 2 is an enlarged central longitudinal vertical sectional view ofthe weed burner and adjacent portion of the platform.

- Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional line 4-4 of Figure 5.

Figure is a horizontal sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a detailed sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 2.

The weed burner includes a platform 1 mounted at one end upon supportingwheels 2 and having view on the a rack 3 mounted upon its forward end.The rear portion of the platform is supported upon a U-shaped axle 4 andground engaging wheels 5 are journaled for rotation at the ends of theaxle '4. A hexagonal extension 6 is provided upon the hub of one of thewheels 5 and sprocket wheels 7 and 8 are mounted upon the saidextension. A counter shaft 9 is journaled for rotation above thesprocket wheels '7 and 8 and clutch members 10 and 11 provided withsprocket wheels are loosely journaled upon the said counter shaft.Chains l2 and 13 are trained around the sprocket wheels 7 and 8,respectively, and the sprocket wheels of the clutch members 10 and 11.Tension rollers 14 and 14' are journaled upon-brackets provided upon theframe of the machine and bear against the sides of the chains 12 and 13and keep the said chains at proper tension. A double clutch member 15 ismounted upon the counter shaft 9 between the clutch members 10 and 11and a lever mechanism 16 is provided for throwing either one of theclutch members 10 or 11 into engagement with the clutch 15.. Thus meansare provided for imparting rotary movement to the counter shaft 9 at tworates of speed. A shaft 17 is journaled for rotation above the countershaft 9 and carries a gear wheel 18 which meshes with a gear wheel "19mounted upon the counter shaft. A worm wheel 20 is loosely mounted uponthe shaft 17 and is provided with a clutch hub 21 which is engaged by aspring pressed clutch member 22 mounted upon the. shaft 17.

' A combustion chamber 23 is mounted upon the platform 1 at a pointbelow the shaft 17 and is provided with an inlet chute 24 having a door'25 pivotally mounted therein for swinging movement. Under normalconditions the door 25 hangs vertically as shown in Figure 3 of thedrawings. A fire box 26 is located below the combustion chamber 23 at apoint immediately behind the chute 24. The lower ends of air pipes 27enter the fire box 26 through the bottom thereof and in the vicinity ofthe ends thereof and the upper ends of the pipes 27 pass through the topof the combustion chamber 23. Grate bars 28 extend downwardly andrearwardly from the rear side of the fire box 26 and the bars 28 areprovided at their rear ends with upstanding spaced fingers 29. Eachalternate finger 29 is of a certain height and the intervening fingersare less. in height so that the said fingers will readily engage thestraw which passes through the combustion chamber as hereinafterdescribed. The rear ends of the grate bars 28 are supported upon a lipplate 30 whichiis attached at its ends to the frame of the platform andwhich is curved in plan. The rear side wall 31 of thecombu'stion chamberis downwardly and rearwardly sloped toward the lip plate 30 but thelower edgeof the said wall is spaced above the upper surface of the lipplate. A series of nozzles 32 pass through the top wall of thecombustion chamber and the discharge ends of the nozzles 32 are directeddownwardly and rearwardly towards the space between the lower edge ofthe wall 31 of the combustion chamber and the upper surface of the lipplate 30. A damper plate 33 is slidably mounted upon the upper surfaceof the top wall of the combustion chamber 23 and a rod 34 is'attached atits rear end to the said damper plate and may be used for moving thedamper I plate over the upper ends of the nozzles 32 whereby the volumeof air which passes through the said nozzles may be regulated. Stacksare mounted upon the top wall of the combustion chamber 23 andcommunicate at their lower ends with the interior thereof. A fan drum 36is mounted upon the top wall of the combustion chamber 23 and isprovided at its rear side with a series of openings 3'7. A ring 38 ismounted for turning movement on the drum 36 and is provided withopenings 39 which may be brought into register with the openings 37 sothat air may pass from the interior of the drum through the saidopenings over the rear part of the top of the combustion chamber 23. Ashaft 40 enters the drum 36 through the top thereof and is surrounded byan opening 41 in the top of the drum. Fan blades 42 are housed in thedrum and are carried at the lower end of the shaft 40. The upper portionof the shaft 40 is journaled in bearings 43 and 44 and the upper part ofthe frame of the machine is provided with a thrust screw 45 which bearsupon the upper end of the shaft 40.

A worm 46 is mounted upon the shaft 40 and meshes with the worm wheel20. A plate 47 is mounted upon the rear portion of the top of the drum36 and a wall 48 extends downwardly and rearwardly from the plate 47 andis spaced from the rear wall 31 of the combustion chamber. A casting 49is attached to the lower edge of the wall 48 and extension sections 50are hingedly connected with the casting 49 and may swing rearwardly butare restrained from swinging in a forward direction when they haveassumed end to end abutting positions as shown in Figure 6 of thedrawings. The sections 50 are spaced beyond the lower rear edge of thelip 30 and yield rearwardly to prevent clogging at the mouth de fined bythem and the lip plate. An oil cup 51 is provided for supplying alubricant to the bearing at the upper end of the shaft 40.

It is apparent that rotary movement is transmitted from the shaft 17 tothe shaft 40 through the worm wheel 20 and worm 46 and as the shaft 40rotates the blades 42 are carried around the axis of the shaft and drawin a current of air through the openings 41 in the top of the drum. Thiscurrent of air is forced down through the pipes 27 and into the firewhich is in the fire box 26. Therefore when the straw is passed over theplatform 1 from the rack 3 into the chute 24 and under the door 25 thestraw is ignited by the fire from the fire box 26. At the same time thefan blades 42 force drafts of air through the nozzles 32 in a downwarddirection toward the lower ends of the grate bars and the lip 30. At,the same time drafts of air pass through the registering openings 37 and38 and pass down through the space between the rear wall 31 0f thecombustion chamber and the wall 48 and as the burning straw passesthrough the spaces between the upstanding fingers 29 additional draftsof air are supplied thereto and as the straw is deposited upon thesurface of the ground there is sufficient fire and heat in the blazethereof to ignite and burn the weeds standing in the ground.

Having described the invention what is claimed 1. A weed burnercomprising a wheel carried platform, a combustion member mounted uponthe platform and having a receiving chute, a door hingedly mounted insaid chute, a fire box located below the forward end of the combustionchamber, a grate constituting the bottom of the combustion chamber, saidchamber having an opening at its lower rear end, a wall disposed in rearof said combustion chamber and spaced from the rear wall thereof todefine a downwardly directed air passage across the opening in saidcombustion chamber, means for discharging air through said air passageand means at the top of said combustion chamber and in communicationwith the air discharging means for directing air downwardly in adiagonal direction from the top and through the opening in saidcombustion chamber.

2. A weed burner comprising a wheel carried platform, a combustionchamber located thereon and having a forwardly disposed intake for thepassage of fuel from said platform, a fire box located below the forwardend of the combustion chamber directly back of the intake, a downwardlyinclined grate constituting the bottom of the combustion chamber back ofthe fire box and formed with terminal upwardly directed fingers, thecombustion chamber having a discharge opening adjacent said fingers, anair duct back of said combustion chamber, downwardly and rearwardlyinclined nipples at the top of said combustion chamber, and means fordischarging air through said nipples into said combustion chamber andout through said opening, said means also discharging through saiddischarge duct across said opening.

3. A weed burner comprising a wheel carried platform, a combustionchamber located thereon and having a forwardly disposed intake for thepassage of fuel from said platform, a fire box located below therforwardend of the combustion chamber directly back of the intake, a downwardlyinclined grate constituting the bottom of the combustion chamber back ofthe fire box and formed with terminal upwardly directed fingers, thecombustion chamber having a discharge opening adjacent said fingers, anair duct back of said combustion chamber, downwardly and rearwardlyinclined nipples at the top of said combustion chamber, and means fordischarging air through said nipples into said combustion chamber andout through said opening, said means also discharging through saiddischarge duct across said opening, the combustion chamber beingprovided with a lip plate supporting the rear end of said grate andarranged at an acute angle with the upwardly directed fingers of saidgrate. 1

4. A weed burner comprising a wheel carried platform, a combustionchamber mounted on said platform and having a forward intake opening toreceive fuel from said platform, a fire box disposed below said forwardend of the combustion chamber and directly back of said intake,

a wall disposed back of said combustion chamber and spaced from the rearwall thereof to define an air duct, the combustion chamber having anopening at its lower rear end, a downwardly inclined grate constitutingthe bottom of saidcombustion chamber back of the fire box and formedwith terminal upwardly directed fingers adjacent said opening, airnipples disposed in the top of the combustion chamber and directeddownwardly toward the opening thereof, and means for discharging airthrough said nipples into the combustion chamber and for discharging airthrough the air duct defined by said wall, the combustion chamber havinga lip plate defining the bottom edge of said opening and supporting saidgrate at its rear end and said rear wall having hingedly connectedsections extending below the plane of said lip plate and limited torearwardly yielding movement.

GREGER E. GUTTORMSON.

